Feminist theatre is an alternative theatre movement that began its spread in the 1970s. Early feminist theatre began as a voice to radical feminism, which proposed that gender roles were socially constructed and could be changed only after a revolutionary restructuring of cultural power. It then grew from the second wave of U.S. feminism, post-civil rights movement. The movement began by speaking on women’s subordinate position in dominant culture and possibilities for change. This encouraged an increase of committed feminist criticism and theory that has become pinnacle for activist and intellectual work in theatre.
Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, is absolutely a feminist piece. The story depicts the plight of women and their subordination while simultaneously commenting on the negative effects this had on the female psyche. There are themes of silence and change, via Mrs. Wright due to Mr. Wright’s harsh oppression and her own inability to escape her marriage. Solidarity between the women, as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters eventually come to do for Mrs. Wright is used to bring about justice in a man’s world. It is also very clear that the women are the main roles, while the men are secondary and almost non-participatory.
Susan Glaspell’s play, Trifles, is absolutely a feminist piece. The story depicts the plight of women and their subordination while simultaneously commenting on the negative effects this had on the female psyche. There are themes of silence and change, via Mrs. Wright due to Mr. Wright’s harsh oppression and her own inability to escape her marriage. Solidarity between the women, as Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters eventually come to do for Mrs. Wright is used to bring about justice in a man’s world. It is also very clear that the women are the main roles, while the men are secondary and almost non-participatory.